Ladurée is a very popular French luxury bakery and sweets maker house in Paris. They have several locations in France, and also worldwide, including
London, Tokyo, Hong Hong, and more. I actually passed by a Ladurée in
Tokyo back in 2013, but regrettably didn't know about the brand. I only
learned about them when I was doing some research for our Paris trip (so sad).

Our hotel (Elysées Bassano) was centrally located in Champs-Élysées, and we came across Ladurée on our way to dinner at Léon de Bruxelles. I was planning on going to Ladurée the next day, but couldn't help getting some macarons before dinner.

The shop was pretty chaotic, as it was super busy that Friday evening. I read some reviews where people were asked firmly to not take any pictures inside many Ladurée Paris locations. Fortunately, the staff that day were really friendly, and they were okay with us taking photos (we asked first). I have noticed that a lot of fancy pastry shops based in Europe frowned upon photography ... it's pretty much free advertising!

Anyway, I got a box of 6 macarons (€17.50 / $24). I got the following flavours; pistachio, rose, iced mint, coconut, Marie Antoinette tea, and strawberry candy "guimauve". I enjoyed all six flavours, and the shells were lightly crisp with smooth filling that was flavorful. I prefer Ladurée over Pierre Hermé cause they are more sweeter.

Compared to Toronto, macarons based in Europe are not very
wallet-friendly. They average out to be about $4 CAD per macaron, so
choose your flavors wisely. I really liked the macarons from Ladurée Paris, so we got more boxes as souvenirs at Charles de Gaulle Airport on our way back to Toronto. JJ couldn't believe that we spent a little over $100 on macarons alone that morning, as he's not a fan of macarons. They all made it back safely with no cracks (except the one box that we ate on the plane).

We actually almost missed our flight back to Toronto, cause I had to wait for the macarons to be packed. It wasn't just Ladurée where service was lax and slow. We experienced it in several restaurants and cafes in Paris, so I think that's just the norm. Our Air Canada flight was at 11:00 am, and we had to be at the boarding gate by 10:40 am. We were running down the corridor like crazy expecting the worst - since it was already 10:55 am. We got to our gate, and to our surprise the line just started moving. People were now being boarded! I know a lot of people complain or hate flying with Air Canada, but in that moment ... I was so happy. We were on-time to board our flight =) It was a super risky move, but luck was on our side that very morning.

Kinton Ramen is a popular chain of ramen
restaurants with several locations in Ontario. Earlier last month, they
expanded uptown to Markham with a newoutpostin Commerce Gate Plaza.
Uptowners can now get their ramen fix instead of having to come all
the way to North York or downtown. I had the pleasure of being invited to Kinton Ramen for their soft opening, where I got to try several appetizers and a
bowl of ramen of my choice with a guest. Upon entering the
establishment, I noticed how much larger the space was compared to their
other locations. The interior design however remains consistent, as it was sleek and modern with their signature wooden furnishing. A perfect blend of traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern appeal.

Kinton Ramen on 7 differs slightly from the other
downtown locations, as this one offers several popular dishes from the
Kinka Izakaya menu like the kakimayo and gomaae. Uptown guests now have
the option to eat ramen or share several items from the izakaya
menu. It's really the best of both worlds!

We started off with two orders of Kinka Original Ramune ($3.50), a
favorite of mine. Ramune is a popular carbonated soft drink originally
sold in Japan, but it is also available worldwide. The drink is widely
known for its distinctive codd-neck bottles
design, where you need to use pressure to open the bottle. The drink
available at Kinton has been re-branded with the Kinka logo, and for
every bottle sold, Kinka Family donates $0.50 to SickKids. So drink for a good cause!

What I like about Kinton Ramen is that the quality of their food
is fairly consistent despite multiple locations. Additionally, the
portion size is very filling, as I have never left Kinton Ramen hungry.

I opted for the Original Pork Ramen ($10.99) - sea salt,
scallions, nori, seasoned egg, pork, as my bowl of ramen. I also decided
to add some additional topics including corn, bean sprout, and seaweed. My ramen came out pipping hot with a mountain high of toppings, savory broth, and topped off with two seared pork belly with a good
meat-to-fat
ratio. If you're not into the original pork broth, the ramen menu includes
other bases like shoyu (soy sauce), miso (soy bean paste), spicy, and
extra pork. Additionally, noodles are available both thick and thin, and I chose thick. The broth was rich and well-balanced (not
too salty). Like I mentioned previously, it was consistent with the
quality that I often receive from the Bloor location
(the one I frequent most).

From the choices of several starters and appetizers, I decided to start off with the Hot Karaage ($8.30) - spicy fried chicken. The plate consisted of several pieces of large, and juicy chunks of lightly battered chicken covered with hot sauce.

We also got the ikapiri ($7.90) - deep fried calamari with spicy ketchup and wasabi mayo, from their Kinka Izakaya menu.

One of my favorite Japanese snacks has to be
takoyaki, which I had plenty of in Osaka, Japan this past December. The
takoyaki ($5.50) contained five deep fried octopus balls with tonkatsu
sauce and mayo. There was a reasonable amount of octopus pieces
stuffed into the flour-based batter. I enjoyed it!

I was pretty full from my meal, but I will always have room for desserts so I got the Matcha Cheesecake ($4.50) - baked
matcha green tea cheesecake. The texture of the cheesecake was creamy
with light matcha flavor. It wasn't overly sweet like Western desserts. I ended up eating the entire cheesecake slice, as my fiancé was too full - so I didn't have to share =)

The only issue that I had was that it took a
while for the last two appetizers to come out. We actually cancelled our
gyoza order, as we were full from finishing our bowls of ramen. The
gyoza from Kinton are really my favorite, but I was too full at that
point. The one thing that they do need to improve on is probably the disorganized service, and servers need to be more attentive. Despite the minor setback, Kinton Ramen on 7 did not disappoint, as we
had an overall pleasant dining experience.

We spent three nights in Prague, and Naše Maso was on our list of eats based on its high rating on Yelp. It's a butcher shop located a few minutes away from the Old Town Square. They offer high quality meat, and cooked items as well. We ended up getting two of their most popular items, the dry-aged hamburger and spicy sausages.

The Dry-Aged Hamburger (159 czk / $8.19) took about 15 minutes to be ready, but it was worth the wait. The burger was freshly made, and there was a good bun to meat ratio. Overall, it was enjoyable meal and the meat was full of flavor. I only wished that they had toasted the bun a little longer, as it was kind of lukewarm when I got it.

We also got an order of two Italian Sausages (75 czk each / $3.86 each), which were pretty good.

The Pancake Bakery is a popular pancake house in Amsterdam. It's located in the historic Jordaan District, just a few doors back down from the Anne Frank House. While reading the online reviews, and glancing over the menu prices; I realized that it was definitely a tourist trap. However, it started raining extremely hard and we wanted a quick bite before our Hop On - Hop Off Boat Tour so we decided to try it anyway.

Looking through the menu, they offer a good selection of both sweet and savory pancakes. J got the pancakewith peaces, cherry liquour, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream (€12.95 / $18.03)

I wasn't too hungry, so I opted for a plate of poffertjes with butter and sugar (€5.25 / $7.31). It was really good that I ended up getting a second plate of it. These Dutch mini pancakes were so fluffy and buttery.

The service wasn't abysmal like some other restaurants in Europe, but it wasn't that good either. Just a note that they will not give you tap water - bottled water only!

Since 1988, Neal Brothers Foods has provided families all over Canada
with a variety of snacks and sauces. Who are the Neal Brothers? They are
two brothers who started making croutons out of their mother’s home in
Aurora, ON, in the 1980's. The
product proved to be quite popular with the locals in the area, and the
brothers quickly expanded their company once they moved to Toronto.
From their humble beginnings, Neal Brothers Foods now offer a wide range
of healthy snack options made from organic
ingredients.

"Food is family and we truly believe it
has the power to bring people together," said Peter Neal, co-owner, Neal
Brothers. "Our range of products has natural and organic ingredients you
can feel good about enjoying with your loved ones. So let's eat!"

A couple of weeks ago, I received a care package from Neal Brothers Foods containing four different kettle chips to try. The
savory kettle chips are made with all natural and quality ingredients,
which are a great alternative to potato chips. It's something that you can munch on while watching a movie, studying, or just when you're craving for some chips.

Spicy Srirachup - Out of the four options, the spicy srirachup chips was
my favorite. You can definitely taste the heat of the sriracha along
with the sweetness of the ketchup. It was a nice contrast of flavors and well-balanced as well.

Montreal Steak Spice - Montreal steak spice is a spice mix used to flavor
steak that was based on the pickling dry-rub mix used in preparing
Montreal smoked meat. So, it was really interesting that the Neal
Brothers were able to create a kettle chips flavor
using the mix. The chips had a nice meat flavor, and you can taste the
garlic, dill and chili flake with every crunch.

Maple Bacon - The Maple Bacon was a very clear representation of
Canadian flavors - maple syrup with bacon. The chips are seasoned with
maple and brown sugar to create a sweet flavor with smoked notes of
bacon. I really enjoyed this flavor as well, as it's such a unique chip flavor.

Pink Himalayan Salt - Personally, I have never tried Pink Himalayan salt
before, but I have read that it was one of the cleanest salts available.
The Neal Brothers Foods' kettle chips was lightly salted with the
mineral dense sea salt. It gave it a nice salty
flavor without being overly loaded with sodium, which can cause water retention.

I also want to note that I love the packaging with all of the bright colors. It's very eye catching, especially when you walk by the products in the grocery stores. Neal Brothers Foods Kettle Chips can be found in the snack aisles at Loblaws, Longos, Sobeys, and Metro. Happy snacking!!

About Neal Brothers Foods:

Started by brothers Peter and Chris Neal in their family kitchen in 1988, Neal Brothers Foods was founded out of a passion for great tasting, “better for you” snacks. Their commitment has always been, and remains steadily, to offer food products that are healthier than the norm, using the best ingredients to achieve that, no matter the cost. One of the most popular items in the Neal Brothers lineup, all natural, non-GMO, kettle-cooked chips are now available in the U.S.

Disclaimer: Neal Brothers Foods Kettle Chips were provided for review. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

Earlier last month, Shake Shack collaborated with Momofuku Daisho to bring their burgers and fries to Toronto for an one-day pop-up. The event took place on Wednesday, January 18th from 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM.. Torontonians had the opportunity to try their signature burger, ShakeBurgers along with some crinkle fries. I don't think Shake Shack will be coming to Toronto permanently anytime soon, but one can hope.

On February 13th celebrate the women in your life with an evening of tasty libations and decadent treats sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Share the love of coffee with a customized DIY coffee bar compete with selection of different Melitta brews, deletable toppings and creamers.Melitta’s pour-over technology is changing the way Canadians experience coffee, and Melitta is making it easy to enjoy at home.

Click here for morecoffee infused cocktailand drink ideas from Melitta to make the most out of Galentine's Day.

Fill 14oz. glass with ice. Add syrup and coffee concentrate.Add whole milk or 1/2 & 1/2 and stir well to mix.Top with whipped cream and garnish with sprinkles.

Melitta’s pour-over technology is changing the way Canadians experience coffee, and Melitta is making it easy to enjoy at home. You and the girls can enjoy a hand-crafted cup of coffee in three easy steps:

Step 1: Simply place your pour-over on top of your coffee mug or carafe

A chic, minimalistic designBamboo filtersPeek-a-boo window enabling you to see into the cup without lifting to avoid overfillPlastic brew cone designed to fit many size mugsWhite porcelain option available

I had the pleasure of checking out Moxie’s Hard Lemonade Pop-Up at the 9th Wine & Spirit Festival this past weekend. The two-day event (presented by Sobeys) officially kicked off the summer season, and Moxie's Grill & Bar was part of the fun. If you missed out on their hard lemonade at the festival, don't fret! Moxie’s Hard Lemonade Pop-Up Patio will be popping up at select events in the GTA between June 16th to July 15th, 2017.

The idea was inspired by Moxie’s thirst quenching, crafted house-made hard lemonade (available in the restaurants). Since it's summer and everyone will be out and about, Moxie's Grill & Bar wanted consumers to quench their thirst with some refreshing lemonade this summer, and came up with the patio. The patio is custom designed with an adult lemonade bar, bright yellow lounge sitting and fitted with a large patio umbrella. Great place to socialize with friends, and hide out from the hot sun.

Moxie's will be making an appearance at the upcoming Dragon Boat Race in September 2017. However, that's a few months away! If you can't wait to check them out then, they will also be at the following upcoming pop-ups.

1) June 24th - Port credit Yacht Club as part of the Toronto
Area Hospice Regatta from 2 pm to 6pm. The event is put on by the Port
Credit Yacht Club to raise funds for a great cause.

Join me for some hard lemonade at one of the pop-up events this summer. The lemonade is handcrafted, and made-to-order to ensure that you cool down with every sip. The lemons are hand-squeezed, mixed with soda, and topped off with Tito’s Handmade Vodka over ice. Patio season has never been so freshly squeezed!

I will be hosting a giveaway on my Instagram this Monday (June 26) at 12 pm, where I will be giving away a $150 gift card to any Moxie's Grill & Bar location in Canada. So don't forget to check it out =)

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Author

Welcome to Foodaholic! A Toronto-based food reviews, travel and lifestyle blog. My name is Sandi, and I am a female living in the city of Toronto (Canada). I am also an entrepreneur working in the field of logistics and e-commerce. When I am not working, I enjoy blogging, traveling, reading, taking photos, and of course eating. I started this blog as I am an avid foodie who also loves to travel, and I wanted an outlet to share my personal experiences.

Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions, media inquires, feedback, etc ... please email me at foodaholic12@gmail.com.

Food Rating System

The rating list is based on the estimated price of a meal for one person (including taxes).

$ = Inexpensive, under $15$$ = Moderately affordable, between $15-$25$$$ = Expensive, between $25-$50$$$$ = Very expensive or fine dining, $50 and up

Disclaimer (Reviews)

This was blog was started for the purpose of sharing my opinions of restaurants that I have dined at (or took out delivery). Some of you may have different taste buds or a completely different dining experience than what I've had, and may disagree with my reviews, which is fine. However, please note that all of the reviews featured on this blog are solely based on my dining experience. Thanks :)